Full quote from John Brady on Tony Benford, call and exchange with refs

I was out in the hall talking to UNT’s players and Tony Benford last night during Arkansas State head coach John Brady’s press conference following the Red Wolves’ win 75-66 overtime win over the Mean Green.

Benford, Brady and the officials got into it a bit over a key goal tending call late in the game.

UNT and ASU were tied up in overtime when Cameron Golden drive and drew a foul on Roger Franklin, his fifth. Golden’s shot was blocked. After some discussion, the UNT was called for goal-tending. Benford was understandably upset, came down the sideline and had a discussion with the officials and Brady.

It was a pretty lively exchange, one that I didn’t think would go anywhere. I couldn’t see what was said from where I was sitting, but both coaches received technical fouls.

Brady talked about the discussion after the game. Matt Roberson from the Jonesboro Sun later sent me the full quote:

“The official in front of me said it wasn’t goal tending. The official on the other said there was no way that was goal tending, that’s what he’s telling me. I said “That’s goal-tending” and he said “No, the ball was going up, it wasn’t coming down.” That’s what the official standing by me said. And then, they called the foul, so the other official comes over there and said the basket is good, goal-tending, and that guy telling me that there’s no way it was goal-tending was stunned. I said “see, you see, I told you.” Well he couldn’t do anything.

“Then, all of a sudden, the other coach was yelling at me after he found out the basket was good and the foul was called. He was yelling at me. Well, I don’t even notice the other coach. I told the officials “y’all go ahead and call a double technical on me and the other coach, but let me tell you, you guys know me and y’all have seen me coach a long career. I have never said anything to the other coach. I have always complimented the other coach. I don’t get into verbage with the other coach, but I’m certainly not going to let a first-year coach in the game yell at me on my sideline in my building. That’s not who I am. I told those guys, I said ‘You know me, I don’t do that. I have never in my coaching career verbally attacked the coach from the other team because I know how hard it is, I know how difficult it is. I want other coaches to coach their team however they see fit, but don’t yell at me. I don’t make the calls. I don’t talk to other teams players. Now, if they say something to me running down the floor like y’all have seen before, I will tell the ref ‘don’t let that guy say anything to our bench’ because my players are held accountable for their actions.

“But I don’t yell down the sideline and curse the other coach. I’m not going to do that. That’s not what I do. It’s hard coaching. It’s difficult. So, if you’re going to yell at somebody, yell at the official. That’s what I do.

“I like other coaches, I respect them and I’m not going to do that, but I’m certainly not going to let someone in our building curse at me, which he did, and anybody sitting at the scorer’s table will verify that. The policeman did, standing right by me, but I wasn’t going to get in any kind of confrontation with him, but I certainly was going to let him know that was inappropriate. I told the official ‘go ahead and call a double T, I didn’t initiate that nor do I do that. You guys know I’m not about that because you’ve called my games a long time.’

“So, he’s a first year coach, if that’s the way he acts, he ain’t going to last long. He’s not going to last long. I’m just telling you, it ain’t going to happen.

“I think the official, he knew that. He wouldn’t look at me after I said. that because he knows that I don’t do that. And you guys know that I will say things we could have done better, but I’ve always complimented the other team. I’ve always complimented the other coach, the other team and how well they played. It’s not all about how poorly you did. Sometimes you get beat and you’re out-played and you got to say that sometimes.

“I got no issue with the young coach, but certainly, I’m not going to let him curse at me or my players while there’s a break in the action. That’s inappropriate.”

I doubt anything will come of it, but Brady did have some pretty harsh words for Benford.